While Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is hand-wringing at home on his annual leave as the current Southern African Development Community (Sadc) chairperson – weak and compromised by his undiplomatic indecent haste to endorse President-Elect Daniel Chapo before official results were announced; an unconstitutional conduct, Mozambique is undergoing renewed burning at a destructive pace.
The situation intensified today as influential opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane returned home from self-imposed exile amid overwhelming support and attendant political tremors reverberating across the region.
Mondlane rejected Chapo’s disputed election as a fraud in the 9 October 2024 election, triggering a wave of violence and chaos.
Hundreds of people have been killed and the local economy disrupted with powerful impact on the region.
As Mondlane arrived from exile in South Africa like a knight in shining armour, a critical national dialogue opened at the Presidential Palace in Maputo, the Mozambican capital, with political parties and civil society participating to find a solution to the post-electoral conflict that has shaken the country to its foundations for months now.
The crucial talks were attended by representatives of major political parties, including thw ruling Frelimo and Renamo, Podemos, MDM, and Nova Democracia, in a bid to find a lasting inclusive, sustainable and lasting solution to the crisis.
Outgoing Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said there is an urgent need for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to resolve the electoral dispute.
Nyusi said:
“We need to find a solution that covers all Mozambicans. We need to find a space for the participation of society so that it is not a matter discussed by a group of people and that people feel excluded in this process.”
Outgoing Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is closely monitoring the deteriorating situation in Mozambique ahead of Chapo’s inauguration next week which he may attend.
Ramaphosa refused to say he will attend, saying it will depend on his schedule as it happened in Ghana during President John Mahama’s inauguration two days ago.
Pretoria is frantically involved in trying to find a settlement in Mozambique, with Foreign minister Ronald Lamola deeply engaged on the issue.
South Africa has deep economic interests in Mozambique and thus a vested interest in its affairs, just like Zimbabwe.
Zanu PF and Frelimo have close ties dating back to the 1970s liberation struggle. Mozambique helped liberate Zimbabwe.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has said the crisis in Mozambique is badly affecting regional economic and trade activities, destabilising Sadc.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who currently the Sadc troika of the organ on politics, defence and security co-operation chairperson, has also expressed concern, urging the parties and stakeholders in Mozambique to find a solution.
The raging deadly conflict has disrupted economic and trade activities, particularly freight transportation, internally in Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. Zimbabwe, which relies 70% on the Beira Corridor for its imports and exports, is one of the worst affected.
The Beira corridor guarantees energy security to Zimbabwe as its main fuel supply route and one of the main supply routes for fuel in transit to Zambia, Malawi and the Congolese region of Katanga.
However, Mnangagwa, beyond issuing an inconsequential statement as Sadc chair and partisan involvement, has dismally failed to get on top of the burning situation, leaving Ramaphosa to take control, particularly because he has compromised himself through partisan and poor diplomacy.
Before elections, Chapo visited Mnangagwa in Harare to exchange notes and get material assistance.
In a desperate bid to create a fait accompli, the Zimbabwean leader even congratulated Chapo before official results were announced, practically declaring him the winner, which is unlawful and a diplomatic abomination.
As the situation deteriorated amid the shock defeat of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, in power for 58 years, by President Duma Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change, and the rise of the opposition and retreat of former liberation movements across the region, Mnangagwa called for a Sadc extraordinary summit in Harare to tackle the Mozambican crisis.
However, in the end the meeting focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo after Nyusi and Mozambicans indicated the case was still going through the Constitutional Council which eventually ruled in favour of Chapo, albeit with a reduced victory margin and mandate , almost confirming the fraud Mondlane is raising hell over.
As Chapo, Mnangagwa’s ally, prepares for inauguration next week, Mondlane will almost certainly up the ante, further exposing Mnangagwa’s incompetence and Sadc impotence amid lack of capacity in the face of a serious political and security situation in the gas-rich nation and region.
#MnangagwaMissingInActionOnMozaCrisis While Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is hand-wringing at home on his annual leave as the current Southern African Development Community (Sadc) chairperson – weak and compromised by his undiplomatic indecent haste to endorse… pic.twitter.com/aCmqLeAVKo
